Beginnings
by Haysel McKalister
Summary: It's September 1973, and Narcissa Black has no patience for the antics of Gryffindors.


Beginnings

* * *

The last of the posters announcing the year's first meeting of The Society for Young Witches Promoting a Brighter and Traditional Tomorrow had finally been posted around the school. The delicate silver calligraphy on midnight blue paper exuded nothing but charm and class next to the haphazardly tacked up Quidditch Tryout announcements and the desperately tacky fliers begging the students to join the Gobstone Club. Narcissa wasn't worried about competition from the other clubs. Everyone who was _anyone_ knew that The Society for Young Witches Promoting a Brighter and Traditional Tomorrow meeting was the only place worth being on Friday afternoons, especially now that it was Narcissa's seventh year and _she_ was in charge.

Most of the new members were unsurprising. The youngest Travers girl looked both terrified and underdressed, but she had brought along scones, so her accidental oversight of Pink Fridays remained overlooked. There was almost a moment of trouble when one of the Wilkes twins helped herself to the pile of books Narcissa had specifically set out for Corbina Lestrange, but a crisis was averted when one of the fourth years girls began a conversation regarding which of the men of society they believed to be their best future prospects. (Narcissa kept an ear tuned in their direction, doubting that any would _dare_ discuss Lucius while she was in earshot, but wanting to be sure nonetheless.)

A knock at the classroom door pulled Narcissa's attention away from their discussion only moments before she intended to call the meeting to order. The blonde rose from her chair, flanked on each side by a shorter brunette girl. "Can I _help_ you?" Narcissa demanded from the dark-haired scrubby girl who'd dared to wear _ripped denim_ to _her_ meeting. Was she _lost_?

"I'm here to help promote a brighter tomorrow!" the girl with choppy brown hair claimed as she made her way into the room _without permission_ and plopped down on one of the lavender-cushioned tufts in the middle of the room. Alecto glanced up at Narcissa from her left, waiting for the signal that she should "take care of it." Narcissa waved her off; this was _her_ club. She was Narcissa Black; she didn't want the younger girls to think she was unable to handle some pesky little girl that reeked of Gryffindor and who sat like a _boy_.

The trio of Slytherin third years rolled their eyes at each other as the latecomer helped herself to a handful of Lavinia's pastries and shoved them all into her mouth at once as she kicked her mud splattered sneakers up onto a table. _The table with the __snacks_ Narcissa realised, horror washing over her. Nonetheless, she remained composed as always, her embarrassment only reflected in the slightest tinge of pink in her cheeks.

"Y'know, this is a great set-up you've all got here. Where've you ladies been all my life? I think that traditions are _super_ important," the new girl explained as she spoke with her mouth stuffed full. Did she not understand that was _disgusting_?

"Narcissa, that's Marlene McKinnon. She's only here because Sirius and James Potter dared her to come; I heard them talking about it at lunch," Georgina Wilkes explained with a sneer, finally unable to take her yearmate's obnoxious antics any longer.

Marlene froze for a split second, not sure what to do now that the Wilkes girl had gone and spoiled her fun.

Narcissa looked unimpressed. "Out," she ordered, pointing at the door. Alecto Carrow cracked her knuckles menacingly, threatening to step in as the club's bouncer if the Gryffindor didn't vacate herself.

"Well! Look at the time! I've gotta be going," Marlene hopped up to her feet after a glance at an apparently invisible wristwatch. "This was a beautiful beginning to what I'm sure will be many lifelong friendships." And with that, Marlene nabbed a dungbomb out of her bag, bowling it towards the far side of the room where the third year girls sat before running out the door, cackling with laughter.

Narcissa glowered as she evacuated the others from the classroom so that Filch could fumigate. That girl had just earned the McKinnons a permanent spot on the blacklist for any society events in the future, that was for sure.

* * *

Thank you to Alicia for letting me borrow her amazing young Narcissa interpretation, and the society girls at BL for their cameo appearances.


End file.
